The major cause behind the incidence of vertigo is a sharp drop experienced inside your ears. This drop is often accompanied by spells of dizziness, losing one’s balance, vomiting, nausea and a few other discomforts. Some people may witness these discomforts disappearing in a short span of time; such adjustments are largely attributed to your brain’s ability to accommodate drastic changes inside the inner ear(s). As a result, your brain may help correct your balance, through other sensory organs and the vestibular system. Betahistine is prescribed for the treatment of vertigo and related discomforts. However, there are a few precautions one needs to take prior to taking this drug. It is a wise thing to know such safety measures prior to starting your medication plan.
When you feel excessively dizzy or if you are about to fall off, it may be due to a likely incidence of vertigo. You may also experience other related problems – such as, staying unbalanced, stumbling while you walk, blurring of eyesight, feeling giddy, etc. Your gastric system may also undergo a few changes; for example, you may experience a few discomforts in your lower abdomen. These may show up as nausea, vomiting and other gastric problems such as gas formation, bloating, flatulence, etc. A few other symptoms to be watchful include – jerky eyeballs, sweating profusely, severe episodes of migraines, hearing problems, etc.
Vertigo may last for a few minutes or may persist for a few hours. This condition may occur when calcium deposits develop deep inside your ears. In such cases, your treating doctor may recommend a few movements of your head and neck. With these manoeuvres (of your head and neck), these deposits can be made to get reabsorbed into your system.
Betahistine for vertigo and precautions to be taken prior to intake
Betahistine is consumed for the treatment of signs and symptoms associated with vertigo. The most common signs of vertigo it can treat include nausea, inner ear discomforts, loss of hearing, feeling excessively dizzy, etc. These symptoms are usual occurrences when you are living with a condition known as Meniere’s disease. You also need to remember that the important reason for these problems is a marked change in the pressure level of your ear. As an outcome of such a pressure change, you are likely to lose balance and may even fall off or faint.
Betahistine needs to be taken based on the instructions of your treating physician. You must never stop taking this drug without the guidance of your medical team. People who stopped this med have suddenly develop problems such as dizziness, nausea as well as vomiting. On the other hand, it is unsafe to take this drug when you are not experiencing vertigo or its common side effects. Those who took this drug without an incidence of vertigo experienced dizziness, tremors and involuntary twitching of muscles. The standard dose of this drug is usually 24 milligrams (mg) within a 24-hour period. This dose of 24 mg is consumed as 3 equally spaced-out doses – each pegged at 8 mg. As a safety precaution, you need to know that you must not take this drug in excess of 48 mg within a day; unless directed by your treating physician. It is equally safe to split this dose into distributed doses of say, 16 mg per dose.
Precautions against allergies or hypersensitivity to betahistine
It is a good practice to tell your doctor if you have any known allergies or prior hypersensitivities to this drug. Your medical team needs to know all the drugs that you are presently taking. As a safety measure, make a list of drugs that you are currently taking. In a few one-off cases, this drug has caused some allergic reactions. Typical allergies may lead to itchiness, inflammation of skin, discoloration, abdominal discomforts like vomiting, nausea, etc.
As a remote occurrence, some people have witnessed acute reactions and very adverse side effects such as swelling of facial organs, oral parts, respiratory conditions like gasping, etc. Owing to such risks, people living with breathing difficulties like asthma, bronchitis or bronchial asthma must stay away from this medication. Also, if your family’s clinical record or your medical history has a few respiratory problems, your doctor must know of all such ailments.
People who are taking drugs for boosting liver health must take added precautions. You may experience a build-up of the active ingredients of this drug if you have an injured liver or an impaired liver activity. As an added precaution, those who take meds for the treatment of hepatic problems or liver conditions like cirrhosis or hepatitis need to consult their physician prior to starting your medication plan.
Precautions for younger adults or children as well as women who are pregnant
This drug is not considered safe for younger adults as well as children. As there are limited studies done on the safety of this drug on younger users, it is strongly recommended to keep away from taking this med. If the medical condition of your child requires a medicine like betahistine, consult with a pediatrician (i.e., child’s doctor) before starting to give this drug to younger adults and children.
Similarly, very limited evidence exists about the safety of this drug on women who are pregnant and those who plan to become pregnant. If you are planning to get pregnant, your doctor may advise you to use birth control techniques. This med is administered to women who are pregnant only if your condition requires administration of this drug. Similarly, women who are nursing an infant must talk to a qualified medical practitioner prior to taking betahistine. As medical studies have not evidenced the safety of this drug on nursing mothers, you are advised to stay away from this med.
In sum, betahistine is taken to treat symptoms triggered by vertigo. This drug is taken to provide relief from nausea, dizziness, inner ear discomforts, hearing loss, etc. People living with breathing difficulties like asthma, bronchitis or bronchial asthma must stay away from this medication. Those living with respiratory conditions must keep your physician informed of these problems. Also, if you are living with liver problems, such as cirrhosis of the liver or hepatitis, it is a safe to consult with your physician prior to starting your medication plan. Above all, talk to your medical team and take needful inputs about the general precautions needed before starting to take betahistine.
Education: Bachelor’s in Biology from the University of California, Berkeley; Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). Experience: 10 years as a freelance health writer and editor, contributing to blogs and magazines focused on preventive medicine and fitness.
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